Illuminated sensor for security system

Abstract

A security system having a control and a sensor attachable to an article to be monitored. The sensor has a plurality of different states, among which are an armed state and a breached state. The sensor and control interact so that the control causes a detectable signal to be generated as an incident of the sensor being changed from the armed state into the breached state. The sensor has a housing with a wall structure bounding a cavity. The sensor further has a source of illumination that projects light. The wall structure has a light transmissive portion through which light from the illumination source projects from within the cavity to be visible externally of the wall structure.

1. A security system comprising:
 a control; and 
 a sensor attachable to an article to be monitored, 
 the sensor having a plurality of different states among which are at least an armed state and a breached state, 
 the sensor and control interacting so that the control causes a detectable signal to be generated as an incident of the sensor being changed from the armed state into the breached state, 
 the sensor having a housing comprising a wall structure bounding a cavity, 
 the sensor further comprising a source of illumination that projects light, 
 the source of illumination comprising an encapsulating bulb that is separate from the wall structure on the housing, 
 the wall structure comprising a portion made from a light transmissive material through which light from the illumination source projects from within the cavity to be visible externally of the wall structure over a substantial area thereof, 
 the source of illumination projecting light from within the cavity through the light transmissive portion with the sensor in at least one of the plurality of states to thereby provide a visual indication externally of the wall structure that the sensor is in the at least one of the plurality of different states. 
 
   
   
     2. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the source of illumination is capable of projecting first and second different colors of light from within the cavity through the light transmissive portion to be visible externally of the wall structure, the source of illumination projects one color light with the sensor in one of the plurality of different states and a second color light with the sensor in a second of the plurality of different states that is different than the one of the plurality of different states. 
   
   
     3. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the source of illumination comprises at least one LED that resides fully within the cavity. 
   
   
     4. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the source of illumination comprises at least one LED capable of generating first and second different color lights to project through the light transmissive portion. 
   
   
     5. The security system according to  claim 4  wherein the light transmissive portion is made from a white translucent material. 
   
   
     6. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the source of illumination is capable of generating at least three different color lights that each projects through the light transmissive portion with the projection of the three different color lights indicative of three different states of the sensor. 
   
   
     7. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure on the housing comprises a top wall, a bottom wall with a surface with a substantial area to be placed against an article to be monitored, and a peripheral wall between the top and bottom walls and the light transmissive portion is on at least the peripheral wall. 
   
   
     8. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure on the housing comprises a top wall, a bottom wall with a surface with a substantial area to be placed against an article to be monitored, and a peripheral wall between the top and bottom walls and the light transmissive portion is on at least the top wall. 
   
   
     9. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the wall structure on the housing comprises a top wall, a bottom wall with a surface with a substantial area to be placed against an article to be monitored, and a peripheral wall between the top and bottom walls, and substantially the entirety of the top and peripheral walls is light transmissive and defines the light transmissive portion. 
   
   
     10. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the sensor comprises a switch with first and second different states, the sensor has an unsecured state, and the switch is changed from the first state into the second state as an incident of the sensor being operatively adhered to an article to be monitored, and the sensor is changed from the unsecured state into a secured state as an incident of the switch being changed from the first state into the second state. 
   
   
     11. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the sensor housing comprises a base portion and a first separable section that defines at least a part of the light transmissive portion. 
   
   
     12. The security system according to  claim 11  in combination with a second separable section that is interchangeably mountable to the base portion with the first separable section, the first and second separable sections having different light transmission capabilities. 
   
   
     13. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the sensor and control are operatively interconnected through at least one conductive element. 
   
   
     14. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the source of illumination resides fully within the cavity. 
   
   
     15. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the housing has one of a: a) squared shape; and b) a cylindrical shape. 
   
   
     16. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the housing has an effective diameter that is at least ½ inch. 
   
   
     17. A sensor for a security system, the sensor comprising:
 a housing comprising a wall structure bounding a cavity, 
 the sensor housing attachable to an article to be monitored and having a plurality of different states, among which are at least an unsecured state, an armed state and a breached state, 
 the sensor further comprising a source of illumination that projects light, 
 the wall structure comprising a light transmissive portion with a substantial area through which light from the illumination source projects from within the cavity to be visible externally of the wall structure, 
 the source of illumination projecting light from within the cavity through the light transmissive portion with the sensor in at least one of the plurality of states to thereby provide a visual indication externally of the wall structure that the sensor is in the at least one of the plurality of different states, 
 the sensor configured to be attached to an article to be monitored as an incident of which the sensor is changed from the unsecured state into a secured state, 
 the sensor configured to interact with a control to cause a detectable signal to be generated as an incident of the sensor being changed from the armed state into the breached state, 
 wherein the wall structure on the housing comprises a top wall, a bottom wall with a surface with a substantial first area to be placed against an article to be monitored, and a peripheral wall between the top and bottom walls, 
 the top wall having a second area. approximately the same as the first area, that remains exposed to view with the sensor attached to an article to be monitored, 
 wherein the light transmissive portion is on at least the top wall. 
 
   
   
     18. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the source of illumination is capable of projecting first and second different colors of light from within the cavity through the light transmissive portion to be visible externally of the wall structure, the source of illumination projects one color light with the sensor in one of the plurality of different states and a second color light with the sensor in a second of the plurality of different states that is different than the one of the plurality of different states. 
   
   
     19. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the light transmissive portion is made from a white translucent material. 
   
   
     20. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the source of illumination is capable of generating at least three different color lights that each projects through the light transmissive portion with the projection of the three different color lights indicative of three different states of the sensor. 
   
   
     21. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the light transmissive portion is on the peripheral wall. 
   
   
     22. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the light transmissive portion defines substantially the entirety of the top wall and peripheral wall. 
   
   
     23. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the sensor housing comprises a base portion and a first separable section that defines at least a part of the light transmissive portion. 
   
   
     24. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 23  in combination with a second separable section that is interchangeably mountable to the base portion with the first separable section, the first and second separable sections having different light transmission capabilities. 
   
   
     25. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the source of illumination comprises a self-contained unit with an encapsulating bulb within the cavity. 
   
   
     26. The security system according to  claim 1  wherein the cavity is configured to contain operating components for the sensor in addition to the source of illumination. 
   
   
     27. The sensor for a security system according to  claim 17  wherein the cavity is configured to contain operating components for the sensor in addition to the source of illumination.